


A Moment Of Nostalgia

by Leni



Series: Enter The Fairy [8]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Rumbelle, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9556943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: "What's wrong, son?" his father asked, looking concerned.(He always looked so concerned when he saw Baelfire. )





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "I want you to look at me the way you look at him."

"What's wrong, son?" his father asked, looking concerned.

He always looked so concerned when he saw Baelfire. 

In the beginning it had been because Bae had been ready to flee at any moment. He hadn't trusted his father's word at all, and the promises made to convince Baelfire to stay with him and his new bride were as worthless as the one he had made to come with Baelfire to a new world.

The only reason Bae had agreed was because his father _had_ rescued him from Neverland. Once settled in the new home his father had picked, Bae had been quick to warn that he'd leave at the first sign that his father would backslide on any of his promises.

In those days, his father always kept a wary eye on him, as if afraid any mistake would send Bae running and one morning they would wake up and Bae's room would be empty.

He had not been wrong to fear that.

Baelfire had played with the idea of running away almost every day, during those first months. He had kept a constant watch on his father, expecting him to unearth that damned dagger and find a way to recover his power. It had taken almost a full turn of the seasons before he felt confident that his father hadn't completely succumbed under the weight of the Dark Curse, that when the former Dark One - once obsessed with castles and rooms full of gold - promised their lives would be simple yet comfortable, he meant to work for it.

He did.

Whether it was the decades of experience making deals, or the fact that he was now supported by the wealth of dozens upon dozens of skeins of pure gold, Rumpelstiltskin had become a successful businessman. Bae had started to come along on trips to neighboring villages, and watched as his father was treated with none of the ridicule he remembered from his childhood, nor the terror in which he'd delighted as the Dark One.

Instead there was respect and sincere welcome, and his father seemed honestly satisfied with that.

The timid spinner was gone forever, but Baelfire still recognized the gentle, supportive husband, now standing straighter and laughing more under Belle's demonstrative approval. He also saw the doting father, always keeping an anxious eye on a beloved child, tending to their every need, and pausing even important tasks to listen to yet another tale of great adventures in the backyard or, as Gideon had been doing until a minute ago, giving his own spin to a story his mother had told him.

"A spider, hmm?" His father chuckled when Gideon nodded happily. "Just swooped in and ate the ant."

"The _mean_ ant," the two-year-old chirped. "It left the grasshopper to die!"

"Right, right."

"So the grasshopper came to the ant's house and ate aaaaaall his food. And didn't die."

"Lucky grasshopper."

Gideon beamed.

"I'm sure he learned to work harder for the next winter, though," his father commented, apparently as invested in the new ending to the old fable, and not at all amused that the toddler had walked away with a completely different lesson from the story as intended.

Gideon shrugged. "...I guess."

Their father laughed, giving Gideon a fond tousle of his hair and a direction to return to his mother for another story, and then turned to Baelfire to continue the conversation his little brother had interrupted... "Well, son, what-?"

Baelfire knew he hadn't been quick enough to mask his emotions when his father cut himself off and frowned thoughtfully for a moment, staring at him. Bae could practically see the light-hearted moment melt into consternation.

"What's wrong, son?"

Baelfire knew he was being irrational.

It still didn't stop him from blurting out exactly what he was thinking. "I want you to look at me the way you look at him."

His father tilted his head, a deep line between his eyebrows. "I don't understand, Bae." He reached out to take his wrist when Baelfire shook his head and mumbled that it didn't matter. "No. It matters. _You_ matter, always. Tell me, please."

Baelfire tried to put it into words.

It wasn't jealousy. 

He had been glad to learn of Belle's pregnancy, happy for the chance to become an older brother after so long. The past two years had been full of small adventures as Gideon grew up and learned to interact with both his world and the people around him.

It wasn't envy.

He didn't wish for one ounce of the attention devoted on the little guy. He already barely knew what to do when his father insisted to hang out together, or when Belle roped him into dusting the library in a thinly veiled attempt to spend time with him.

But it was, maybe, nostalgia?

There had been a time when Baelfire hadn't known his father's gaze could be anxious when set on him. After so many years, he had forgotten the ease with which his father's features softened into a smile when he talked to his child.

He missed being that child.

"You look at Gideon like he can make you smile without even trying," he managed. "I... It's good, really. I just... Sorry, I'm not making sense."

His father looked pensive for a long moment, a parade of emotions crossing his features until it settled on a small smile.

Then he shook his head and walked closer.

He didn't say a word, but Baelfire still understood exactly what his father meant when strong arms came around him. 

 

The End  
02/02/17


End file.
